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Week 21

1 Samuel 29:1- 2 Samuel 12:31

1 Sam 30:6b “But David found strength in the Lord his God.”

2 Sam 1:17-26 (Vs 17-18) “Then David composed a funeral song for Saul and Jonathan, and he commanded that it be taught to the people of Judah…” I am just struck by the friendship of David and Jonathan. The song that David composes in honor of Saul and Jonathan…first, it says so much to me about the heart of David and his love for God that he is mourning over and honoring Saul after all Saul had put him through. But if you read the song “The bow of Jonathan was powerful…” and the song was entitled “Song of the Bow”. I believe he was mourning Saul and his death but much more so Jonathan. What really stood out was Vs 25: “How I weep for you, my brother Jonathan! Oh, how much I loved you! And your love for me was deep, deeper than the love of women!” David loved Jonathan and vice versa BUT it was a pure love…a deep friendship. Not something unnatural or sinful (as many have said through the years)…I think of the ultimate brothers. Those kind that are just there for each other and would do anything for one another. We need these kinds of friendships in our lives! Without fear of how the world interprets loving someone that deeply! It’s a God gift…a good thing…

2 Sam 2:4 David becomes king…how long had passed since Samuel anointed him at his father’s as a shepherd boy.

2 Sam 3:14-16 Abner is wanting to make an alliance with David. David says a condition is that he wants his wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, returned to him. She had been given to another man by Saul when he and David were against each other. So years have passed and Vs 15-16: “So Ishbosheth took Michal away from her husband, Palti son of Laish. Palti followed along behind her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he went…” That is so sad! So often we know that women were treated as property but I had never really thought of the effects on men who weren’t in power and also were just used as pawns.

2 Sam 5:10 “And David became more and more powerful, because the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies was with him.” Let that be me, Lord! Let me become “more and more powerful” against my enemies (temptations, earthly desires, attacks of the devil…) because You, my God, Lord of Heaven’s Armies, are with me! You fight for me and go before me!

Vs 19: David heard the voice of the Lord…CLEARLY! He knew what to do after consulting God. Help me, Lord, to clearly hear You. To know You are leading me each day and in each moment.

2 Sam 6:16 “But as the ark of the Lord entered the city of David, Michal, the daughter of Saul, looked down from her window. When she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she was filled with contempt for him.” How awful! Never be embarassed/have contempt if my husband is unashamedly praising God-no matter how that “looks”. Also, lesson to me? Dance/praise like no one is watching! No one matters except my God…His opinion is all that counts! I do see this differently now, though…thinking back to where Michal was taken from her husband, Palti, and returned to David…is it possible she loved Palti so this was just something else that irritated her just because it was David?!

2 Sam 7:13 “He is the one who will build a house-a temple-for my name.” God said that David isn’t the one meant to build His temple.

2 Sam 9:1 “One day David asked, ‘Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive-anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” True friendship…extends beyond just the ones involved. A true, deep friendship love spreads out to the families as well.

2 Sam 10:2-3 “David said, ‘I am going to show loyalty to Hanun just as his father, Nahash, was always loyal to me.’ So David sent ambassadors to express sympathy to Hanun about his father’s death. But when David’s ambassadors arrived in the land of Ammon, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, ‘Do you really think these men are coming here to honor your father? No! David has sent them to spy out the city so they can come and conquer it!'” This led to them disgracing the ambassadors which resulted in a war they lost. Lesson for me?? Importance of our advisers!! How important are the people we give our ear to?! Those we turn to for advice on our daily life have the ability to make such an impact, for better or worse…we must choose wisely!

2 Sam 11:1b “However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.” The beginning of David’s fall…sometimes it’s not about us going somewhere that we shouldn’t, it can be about us not going somewhere we know we should!

Vs 6a: “Then David sent word to Joab:..” David’s plotting begins! He slept with Bathsheba, a married woman, and now she’s pregnant. Instead of owning responsibility for his sin, he begins scheming to cover it up. This led to vs 14…setting Uriah up to be killed.

Vs 27b: “But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.”

2 Sam 12:1-6 Nathan tells David the story of the rich man and the poor man with the sheep (meant to be an example of what David had done to Uriah the Hittite) and David is outraged because he doesn’t see that the story is about him. Isn’t this so like us? To be outraged by another’s wrong and overlook our own sins?? The definition of hypocrisy!

Vs 12: “You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly…” Lord, be merciful! To have to be punished openly for our sinful choices…Lord, thank You that the consequences of my actions haven’t been so openly handled!

John 11:55-16:33

Jn 12:35b (Jesus speaking) “Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you…”

Vs 43: “For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.” Oh how often I have been guilty of this! Lord, help me to desire Your praise above mans. Help me to care about how You see me and what You think of me above what people think.

Jn 13:15 (Jesus speaking) “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” Thank you for Your example, Lord. Help me to look to You in all I say and do.

Vs 34-35: (Jesus speaking) “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” LOVE!! It all comes down to love!

Vs 6: “Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'” So clear! Jesus is THE ONLY WAY!! No one gets to God without Jesus… NO ONE!

Jn 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

Vs 5b: “For apart from me you can do nothing.” I NEED Jesus…every moment of every day! I can’t do anything apart from Him!

Vs 19: (Jesus speaking) “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” Don’t worry about what people of the world think about me! I am meant to be different…set apart by my God. Don’t get caught up in appealing to this world!

Vs 33: (Jesus speaking) “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” PEACE…ONLY THROUGH JESUS!

Psalms 118:1-119:80

Ps 118:5-6 “In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”

Vs 21: “I thank you for answering my prayer and giving me victory!” Trusting in You for victory, Father!

Vs 24: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Vs 18-20: “Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. I am only a foreigner in the land. Don’t hide your commands from me! I am always overwhelmed with a desire for your regulations.” My heart!!

Vs 33-41: Teach, give, make, give, turn, help, renew, give-all referring to God’s action…not mine! This reinforces the study in the Holy Spirit and hearing the Voice of God that I’ve been doing. God will make Himself known…He is an active participant in our relationship, not an absentee, uninvolved Father!

33a: “Teach me your decrees, O Lord;”

Vs 34a: “Give me understanding…”

Vs 35a: “Make me walk along the path of your commands…”

Vs 36a: “Give me an eagerness for your laws…”

Vs 37a: “Turn my eyes from worthless things…”

Vs 38a: “Reassure me of your promise…”

Vs 39a: “Help me abandon my shameful ways;…”

Vs 40b: “Renew my life with your goodness.”

Vs 41a: “Lord, give me your unfailing love…”

Vs 61: “Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.” I had this mental picture (I have quite the imagination so hang with me lol) of these troll-like creatures all wearing shirts with the names of my past addictions/struggles/issues/sin (evil) written on them. They slowly circle me and approach but I’m tied tightly to a huge anchor and on the other end of that anchor is God…looking on and holding tight to me and the anchor. The “evil” tries its best to pull me into sin…dragging with all their strength, just to have me not budge at all because I’m so firmly anchored in God!! Help us, Father, to all be so anchored in You and in Your word that evil can’t even gain an inch!

Proverbs 15:24-16:5

Prov 15:28 “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.” Help me to weigh my words, Lord. To look at my speech through Your eyes before I speak.

Vs 29: “The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.”